Memory loss and an assassin on the loose
by afrah11
Summary: After six years of marriage, their lives are falling appart. One day Ziva has an accident and losses her memory. Now they're running out of time and her recovery is the only way to save Tony's life, a life she put in danger in the first place. TIVA
1. I won't let you hurt him

**Memory lose and an assassin on the loose**

_Disclaimer: I still do not own anything of this show_

_A/N: This story is a bit crazy, I hope you like it. I don't know why I'm writing so much, I'm starting to be scared of myself._

_

* * *

_**Chapter One**

**I won't let you hurt him**

* * *

"No, I won't let you do that", a female voice said desperately

"But you said you hated him", a male voice said.

"And I do, but I don't want him dead, maybe...maybe I've been unfair and it was not all his fault"

"He ruined your life"

"Maybe, but I've been ruining his too"

"Do you still love him?"

"I don't know Amin, maybe…I don't want to think about that. Not any more, just call it off please, just do it. What I said was stupid, I was drunk, I wasn't thinking clearly. It is just not fair"

The woman left the Bar where she was talking to the man.

Amin stayed at the bar finishing his vodka, when his cell phone rang.

"Amin here"

"What happened to the woman"

"She decided to change her mind, she said she was drunk and confused, she wants me cancel the operation"

"Well your lady friend is stupid if she thinks that this is a game, she asked us to do something and we are going to finish it"

"But she doesn't want you to, besides, she did not ask us to do anything, she was just talking outloud"

"I care a damn thing what she wants, this is not about her, this is about us and what best suits to our own interests. He's a threat and we have to get rid of him, weather she wants it or not. And if you think that she constitutes a threat, then we'll take care of her too. Two for the price of one, that is not bad"

* * *

At his house, Tony was starting to get worried, it was 2:00am, the situation with Ziva was not the best. Ever since the accident that took everything away from them, she changed, and he did as well.

Their marriage was not the same anymore. At first they're happy and now…they fought over everything. They were hurting each other deeply and worse…he did not even know if he still loved her anymore.

Suddenly the phone rang

"Yes"

"Mr. DiNozzo"

"It's me"

"Sr. I'm sorry, but I'm talking from Bethesda where your wife has been admitted"

"What??, what happened"

"I'm afraid I cannot give you more information over the phone"

"I understand, I'm on my way, thanks"

Tony dressed quickly and made his way to the hospital

* * *

"Hi, I'm looking for my wife, Ziva Di…David"

"Yes, I'm doctor Stein, I'm currently in charge of your wife"

"How's she doing, what happened to her". Tony asked deeply concerned.

"Apparently she was hit by a car. Besides a couple of broken ribs she seems to be fine. She's unconscious now. We're a bit worried because of the concussion on her head, but we won't know for sure until she wakes up"

"And when will that happen"

"It could be hours, days, weeks…I don't know. We'll have to wait."

"Can I see her"

"Sure, nurse Skinner will take you to your wife's room"

"This way please"

Once in Ziva's room…

"Wait, nurse, can you tell me how did you know that she's my wife, I mean, its been a long time since she doesn't use her wedding ring and…well not to mention the last name...?"

"When she first came she was barely conscious and she was calling for you, besides one of the residents from neonatology recognized her"

"Thanks", he answered distractedly

He sat on a chair at Ziva's bed side, he's looking at her. She looked so frail. He felt his heart melted.

Tony took one of Ziva's hands into his and kissed it.

"What happened to us sweetcheeks, we were so happy and now….

Tony started to cry and then he fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning he felt like something was pulling his hand

"Oh!, good morning Ziva. Before you get mad at me let me tell you that you were hit by a car and that's why we're here".

Ziva was staring at him intently, she even looked scared. But she did not say a word.

"Don't give me that look Ziva, it is not my fault, this time it was all yours. Now what, you are not going to talk to me?…Fine. I don't understand you anymore. They said you call for me, that's how they knew about us, but if you don't want me here, it's better if I get going".

"Us?" Ziva whispered confused

"Now you're going to deny it, come on Ziva we're alone, nobody is listening, you do not have to play games. I know we are bad but this is to much. See you later, if you want it of course."

When he was about to leave the room…

"Please wait!!. I do not understad anything of what you're saying, but before you leave, would you please tell me who am I?, and why are you talking to me that way".

* * *

_A/N2: Please let me know what do you think_


	2. I don't know who I am

_Disclaimer: I own nothing of this show or its characters._

_A/N: Please, read and review. Your reviews are very important to me. It is the only way I know how I'm doing with the story, if it's a good job or not._

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**I don't know who I am**

Tony couldn't believe what she was saying

"Are you kidding me, what do you mean by that"

"I am not kidding I do not know who I am, who are you. I know nothing" Ziva looked like a lost child, and tears were starting to show in her brown eyes.

"Let me call the Dr. I'll be right back"

Tony was really confused, he knew Ziva, and even when their marital situation was not the best, he knew that she would never trick him that way. She could fake a lot, she was trained for it, but the fear reflected in her face was real, he could tell.

Finally he found Dr. Stein and told him about Ziva's current condition. Both men headed to her room and found her sobbing, but once she noticed she was not alone she stopped.

"Mrs. DiNozzo, your husband was telling me that you don't remember your name. Do you remember something, about your childhood, anything?"

"No, I don't. What happened?. I need to know who I am, why he was talking to me the way he did, if he's my husband, then what's wrong?" Now she was hyperventilating

Dr. Stein called one of the nurses and she gave her a sedative.

"She's going to be asleep for the next hours" Dr. Stein said. "Is there any family members besides you, her father, mother, siblings?"

"No, her mother and siblings are dead and her father… well he doesn't want to do anything with her. I can call some friends, do you think that will help her?"

"Maybe, We cannot be sure."

"How long is it going to take her to get back her memories"?

"You mean if she ever does?. This cases are not simple, some patients need more time, others recover part of their memories, but not all of them. It all depends. Is she strong?"

"The strongest person I've ever met"

"Then she'll pull through. Can you tell me if she'd had a traumatic experience that she might want to forget?"

"Do you think that is what is causing her amnesia"

"Maybe"

"Something really bad happened two years ago…" Tony said his eyes full of tears. "It has been very difficult ever since. It caused her to recoil from everything, even from our marriage"

"I see…maybe you should talk to one of the Psychiatrists, I'm sure he's going to be able to help. For now it is much better if you don't talk to her about that. It's obviously very painful and won't help to her recovery. Call your friends, and help her. I can tell you still have feelings for her. Everything happens for a reason Mr. DiNozzo, maybe this is going to help your marriage". The Dr. said patting Tony's shoulder.

Tony's hands were covering his face, he did not know what to do. Except for…calling their only family.

* * *

Half an hour later, Gibbs, Jen, McGee, Abby, Ducky and Palmer were at the hospital.

"What happened Tony", Abby asked him while she gave him a tight hug.

"Ziva was hit by a car and now she has lot her memory, she does not even remember who she is"

"You mean she does not remember anything about…."

"No Abby, anything" Tony answered

"What was Ziva doing in the street at 2 am Anthony" Ducky asked

"That is something she does a lot lately, and even when it worries me it is out of my control. I cannot get to her anymore. I do not know how to do it anymore"

* * *

The next morning, Ziva woke up, Tony was by her side. This time he was not touching her at all. She did not wake him up, he just stared at him and thought to herself that he was the most handsome man in the entire planet.

"What's wrong between us?", she mumbled. Now she was combing Tony's hair with her fingers. She couldn't remember him, but she felt safe by his side.

Tony woke up at the touch of her fingers.

"Good morning Ziva"

"Good morning"

"You sleep well?"

"I did thank you"

"If you're hungry I can call one of the nurses"

"No…please wait, don't leave me"

When Tony listened to those words he felt that he loved her more than anything in the world, but then...the memories were back.

"Please, explain to me what is going on, I do not get it. We're married yes?

"Yes we are Ziva?, We've been married for the last six years"

"Then what's wrong I don't get it. Yesterday you said things that…we'll it is obvious that we are not the perfect couple"

"Nobody is perfect"

"Then why do you hate me?"

"I don't Ziva"

He gently hugged her and placed his chin on the top of her head.

"Then what's wrong?, please tell me"

"Shhh...Don't worry Ziva, I'll explain everything to you and we'll figure it out, I promise. We'll get through this." He said that and then he kissed her forehead. He knew she used to like that.

* * *

_Please leave a review._


	3. A fresh start

_Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or its characters._

_A/N: To everyone who's reading this story, be patient, I promise that you're going to find out what happened two years ago very soon. Thanks to your reviews, keep them coming. And also thanks to the ones who are just reading it._

_Mistakes…mine,__ as usual._

* * *

**Chapter 3 **

**A fresh start**

The next days Tony took very good care of Ziva. He told her about NCIS, her former position as a Mossad assassin, the story about her family, her father, trying hard to avoid the sad details, her likes and dislikes ; their marriage, even when he failed to mention the reason why they were having a hard time. Every time that he talk about the good memories, he felt as he had never stop loving her, and the fear grew into his chest when he thought about the minute she will recover her memory.

After having spent an entire week at the hospital, Ziva was finally released. Her amnesia remained though.

The day Ziva was going to be released Tony went to the hospital to pick her up and drive her home. By the time they got home, she was scared. Even when she tried hard, nothing seemed familiar to her. Tony gave her a sympathetic look and then brought the suitcase into her room. While he was placing it over the bed, he heard Ziva asking him something from the door.

"Is this our bedroom"?

"No Ziva, it is yours, mine is at the end of the corridor"

"Why don't we share the room?"

"Because you said it was better that way"

"When did I say that?"

"Long time ago"

* * *

After having dinner Ziva went to the living room and found Tony's movies. She smilled internally, she did not remember why the things were wrong between them, but now she understood why she married him in the first place. He was still a child, and that was something that Ziva found extremely cute and sexy.

Abby had told her that Tony loved movies and maybe at this point she did not remember having loved him, but she knew that she liked him already and that he was her husband and if the pictures over the piano did not lie they were very happy once and now she knew…no matter what had happened she wanted that happiness back. If she had no memories, then she was going to make new ones, this time full or happiness.

"Hey Tony, do you want to watch a movie with me"

* * *

That night Gibbs was at his place, working on his boat, thinking on what was going on with his agents. He suffered something similar once, and he hated and blamed the rest of the world for his suffering, but he was not married any more, he had no wife to hold her responsible, even when he knew she was not. That was exactly what happened to Ziva. And now for better or for worse, she remembered nothing and maybe this was the chance that everyone had been asking for. A chance to start over, to forgive, to be happy.

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by a voice

"Jethro, are you here?"

"Yep, good evening director", he said without looking at her

"We are not at the office anymore, are you angry with me" Jen said standing on the top of the stairs.

" Should I be?"

"What do you mean?"

"You can't fool me, I now you had something to do with Ziva's accident"

"How dare you, I'll never hurt her, she's like a daughter to me, how can you say that?"

"How dare you Jen" Gibbs said raising his voice. Her marriage and her life are falling apart and you sent her undercover !!. DiNozzo thinks that he has lost control, he does not know why his wife is always late. What is your next plan Jen?, to make her recover her memory so she can get back to work? I don't know why it surprises me work has always been all that mattered to you. Good Ziva is like your daughter, I do not want to imagine what would you've done if she was not"

Jen's eyes were full of tears

"Do not say that Jethro, I never wanted to hurt her, she asked me to give her something, anything that kept her mind busy and I did. I was just trying to help"

"And you thought that by doing that you were helping her?"

"The situation with Tony was becoming worse I just...I just wanted her to focus her anger on the job rather than her husband", Jen said her voice growing louder.

"Sorry Jen, it's just that…"

"You love her too, you love them both. Me too, and I'm suffering as well. I want them to be happy I want to see her smile again…but it is not up to us Jethro"

"I know"

Once they were calmed they sat on the bottom of the stairs.

"Why do you think that her undercover operation had something to do with the accident?"

"My gut"

"Then we have to investigate it even further" She said while she took his left hand and laced her fingers through his.

* * *

While they're watching the movie, Ziva sat closer to Tony and suddenly he wrapped his arms around her, as she laid her head on his chest. After they finished watching _Pirates of the Caribbean _Tony realised that Ziva was already asleep. He carefully lifted her in his arms and carried her to her bed. He leaned down and dropped a kiss on her cheek. "Good night Zee".

* * *

The next morning a delicious smell coming from the kitchen made Tony get up. It was 7:00 a.m. but he did not care.

"Good morning Tony"

"Morning"

"Did I wake you up?"

"No, the smell did. What are you making for breakfast?"

"Oh, you'll see"

"I thought you had amnesia"

"I do, but I can read, and that's where this recipe came from. Go and take a seat, this will be ready in a minute"

Tony was more than happy. Maybe she couldn't remember, but his wife, the Ziva he married six years ago and the woman he had ever loved was finally back.

* * *

The days went by and they were living on a honey moon. Everything was perfect. They talked, laughed, played, watched movies. They were happy.

One night Tony could not sleep and went down for a glass with milk. He did not know, but Ziva could not sleep either, she was already in the kitchen.

"You can't sleep?"

"Nop"

"Neither did I, can I get you something?"

"I was thinking about a glass with milk"

When Ziva gave him the milk their fingers slightly touched and they stared at each other. Without knowing how, Tony leaned foreward and touched his lips to hers.

"Sorry Ziva, I…I don't know what happened…It will never hap…."

Before he could finish his apology, Ziva put a finger on his lips and then she kissed him, he returned it eagerly.

"I love you Tony"

"I love you too, sweetcheeks"

They made their way to her bedroom. Kissing and caressing each other every step of the way.

For the first time in two years, they made love. Their lovemaking that night was full of love, passion and desire. The way they used to. But this time love was the most important ingredient, love was on the top of everything.

* * *

The next morning Tony was the first one who woke up, he stayed in bed a bit longer contemplating the view. Oh! he loved her so damn much that sometimes it did hurt. After a couple of minutes he decided to surprise her with breakfast in bed. He placed a kiss on her forehead before heading to the kitchen.

While he was making french toast, something came through the kitchen window and Tony fell into the floor.

The noise woke Ziva up and she came down, running from her bedroom only to find Tony bleeding and unconscious.


	4. Something's telling me everything is my

_Disclaimer: I own nothing from NCIS or its characters._

_A/N: To all the people who's reading this story, than you very much. Please review._

**Chapter 4**

**Something's telling me everything is my fault**

Tony was taken to the hospital. Ziva did not understand what happened. They've just had the best night, as far as she could remember, and now everything has turned into a nightmare.

She immediately called Gibbs, she did not know why, but even when she could not remember him, she knew she could trust him. Within minutes, he was at the hospital, right by her side, like a father would do.

"I do not know what happened, he was making some breakfast, I was sleeping, then the noise, it did not sound like a gunshot, and now we're here. God...do you want to know the worse part?, something's telling me that everything is my fault", Ziva said, trying to hold the tears back.

"Don't say that, there was nothing that you could have done, you've just said it, you're sleeping"

"No, no, I know I could've never stop this, but still, I cannot stop feeling as if I would've been the one who shoot him"

An hour later, the Dr. came to the waiting room and told them that Tony's condition was stable and that they could see him now.

"He's already in his room", the Dr. said.

Ziva looked at Gibbs.

"Go Ziva, you two need some time alone, I'll be with the two of you in a couple of minutes, ok?"

"Yes"

After Ziva disappeared behind the elevator doors, Gibbs called McGee

"I need you to investigate what happened to Tony, and I need to know it ASAP"

"On it boss"

Gibbs could not take off of his mind what Ziva had just told him.

"What were you doing undercover Ziva?", he asked himself.

_Tony's room_

"How are you feeling, Tony?" She asked him as she started playing with his fingers.

"Like I was shoot"

"Come on, the Dr. said it was nothing. The bullet ended up in our kitchen wall. It was only a scratch, don't be such a baby" She said while she placed a soft kiss on the top of his nose. "I called Gibbs, he's outside, do you want me to call him?"

"Right now I prefer to be alone with you" His lips touching hers.

Gibbs step by, talk to his senior agent, and then went back to NCIS, he needed to investigate what was really going on. He was concerned, but as long as Tony was at the hospital, he was safe.

The Dr. told them that Tony had to spend the night at the hospital for observation, and Ziva chose to stay by his side. While they're sleeping, she had a dream, a nightmare more than a dream. The picture in her mind was blur, but at the same time it was so real._ It was a big party. Kids running, balloons, a pool, voices that suddenly turned into screams and then…nothing._

"_Daddy can I go?"_

_Voices that suddenly…_

"_Where is she Tony?"_

_Turned into screams and then…nothing. Everything turned black…_she woke up in a cold sweat and panting.

"Nooo!!"

Tony woke up, "It is ok Ziva, what happened?"

"I was…I don't know. I think I was dreaming but…It was so real"

"It's ok Zee, I'm here, right by your side, I won't let anything happen to you, you're safe"

"I'm safe, but…was she?"

"She?, who?, what are you talking about?

"The little girl Tony, I saw her, she was there, and then she disappeared, I asked you where she was, but you did not answer me"

Tony's heart beat was raising, she was remembering, and now everything was going to be the way it had been for the last years.

"Did we have a daughter Tony?

"Ziva…."

"Did we?" her voice was getting louder

Tony nodded

"And now.. she is…she is…dead?"

* * *

Back at NCIS, Gibbs and McGee were analyzing the evidence.

"This was made by a pro boss, Abby said that there were no hits in CODIS, the shoot came from outside the house, it was a sniper, highly trained. But why Tony?"

"First of all it was not a pro or a highly trained sniper, McGee"

"How do you know that boss, Abby said that..."

"I heard you, maybe this guy is very well connected, but definitely not a pro, Tony is alive, isn't he? And second, "that is exactly what we have to find out McGee"

* * *

Now Tony was alone, Ziva did not let him explain to her what happened that day, he knew the second she remembered, everything was going to be ruined, she'll never forgive him, and maybe she was right, it was his fault, he should had never left her alone, but God it was a party, who though that…Tony started to cry when he remembered what happened to his little girl.

* * *

It was 3 am, Gibbs was once again working on his boat, the entire case was driving him crazy, no traceable bullets, no gun, no DNA, no fingerprints (except for Tony and Ziva's, of course), no nothing. The guy might not been a pro, but he definitely knew how to become a ghost. Until a shadow interrupted his thoughts…

"I thought you're with Tony, what are you doing here?"

"I remembered"

"You mean that you know what happened to Tony?"

"No, I remembered what happened to my baby girl"

"Oh Ziva…..!"

"Why, I mean she was just a baby, wasn't she?"

"Yes she was, Tony did not explained?"

"I did not let him, I practically ran away from him, I did not want to listen to him and now…I do not know what to do…"

"So you did not know what happen?"

"Not exactly, what I do know is that she is dead and that I held Tony responsible for it, but I cannot remember the details, God, I do not even remember her name"

"Her name was Eitana, she was a very sweet girl"

"Eitana...what happened to her Gibbs?"

"I think you should talk with Tony about it"

"Right now, I do not want to talk to him, I want you to tell me what happened to my Eitana"

"What did you remember"

"A crowded place, balloons, a pool, kids…my little girl, she was asking Tony if she could go, I do not know where to and then I remember having asked Tony where was she and then…people were screaming…then... nothing, except for this emptiness in my heart, in my soul, in my life…." By now Ziva was crying uncontrollably.

Gibbs hugged her tight, trying to comfort her, but deep inside he knew there was no comfort when you loose a child. He kept her close to him until her crying subsided into sobs.

"What happened?"

"She wanted to go to the pool, but she did not know how to swim, she was only three"

"So she drowned, yes?"

"Gibbs nodded"

She whipped the remaining tears, even when it was really hard, deep inside she always knew, even when her memory was lost she knew that there was something missing, she just blocked it off.

"Then…what happened with me and Tony?"

"You held him responsible, told him it was his fault"

"Why did I do that, we were at that party, both of us, together, it was OUR fault"

"No Ziva, it was nobody's fault. You blamed him because you were angry, and sad, and…there was just nobody else to be blamed for that lose. But it was an ACCIDENT, look at me, it was nobody's fault, did you understand me, not yours nor Tony's, NOBODY'S"

"I've made our lives miserable ever since, yes?

"You've been grieving, nobody can blame you for that. But you did not talk to anyone, no to the psychologist,to the therapist, to me, Jto enny…not even to your husband, and that made it even harder"

"I do not want to be the same, I know I am never going to forget that I had a baby, but I have to think about Tony, our marriage…I think…I'm sure that I still love him, I think I always have, and always will, but…"

"No buts, David"

"He's never going to forgive me, I blamed him for something he did not do and tonight at the hospital I saw him, he was sad and disappointed"

"He loves you Ziva, and he is going to understand"

"I do not know if I deserve it"

"Of course you do, we all make mistakes and we deserve a second chance, so go home, take a shower, sleep and tomorrow go to the hospital and bring Tony back home with you. Start over Ziva"

She smiled at him, hugged him and said her goodbyes.

Gibbs smiled back, after she left, he was happy for them. After all those years, she had the chance to talk about what happened and finally she understood it was not Tony's fault. It was just an accident. But he was still concerned about the damned shooter, why Tony, and why did Ziva tell him early that morning that it was her fault?


	5. I did

_Disclaimer: I own nothing from this show._

_A/N: Thanks to all who are reading this story and to the ones who had reviewed it. I think that there are one or two more chapters to go._

_Maybe this is the longest chapter I've written so far. Hope you like it. Mistakes as usual are mine, if you find something horrible please, point it out._

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE**

**I DID**

After Ziva left Gibbs' house she went straight to hers, she wanted to take a bath and to think about what she had just talk to Gibbs. Now she was convinced that everything was going to be fine, even when she did hurt Tony with her attitude, there was something that can be done to fix their marriage. They loved each other, there was no doubt about it, and in marriage, love is all that matters.

When she got home, she saw everything was spotless, thanks to Abby and McGee that cleaned up the mess, she was to tired to do it herself but she definitely did not want Tony to get back to a messy home either.

She hurried herself into the bathroom and started running the water. She stepped into the shower and while she was washing her hair, she realized she was not tired at all, she wanted to make some changes, right away. Well she had to finish her shower first, but then that house was going to become Tony's dream house, she was going to put her and Tony's stuff in the same room, she was going to buy new bed sheets, new… No, there were so many things and no much time. She changed her mind, instead, she decided to surprise Tony with a trip, just the two of them. She was going to make the reservations and to pack their clothes, tomorrow, when she picked Tony up from the hospital, they will not come back home, they will be on their way to the airport to spend the most romantic week of their lives, she did not remember their honeymoon, but if it was close to the night they spent together, the only one she remembered having spent with Tony so far, then she had to think on something quite extraordinary and it definitely had to be unforgettable. They will make all changes together later, after they get back. Or even better, they could find a new house, a place where they could make new memories, where remembering their little girl will be joyful and not hurtful nor sad.

* * *

The next morning, she woke up early, even when she could not sleep at all, she was so excited about everything that she completely forgot her fears, and apparently she also forgot to sleep.

She took a shower and then grabbed an apple and a cup with coffee and hurried into the hospital. Before getting into Tony's room, she thought about the surprise she had set for her husband, he was going to be so happy that maybe she was going to be able to make it up for him after what happened the night before.

When she entered into the room, it was empty, Tony was not in the bed as he was supposed to, she went to check into the bathroom, but it was empty as well.

She went to the nurse's station and asked them for Tony, one of the nurses told her that he left early that morning, that a friend of his brought some clothes for Tony to change and then they left. Ziva felt sick and one of the nurses helped her to sit down while the other brought her a glass with water.

She had screwed up all over again, instead of listening to him, she ran away and went to talk to Gibbs, but he did not know that, he surely thought that she was going to be like her old self again and he could not take it. She wondered what friend brought him the clothes, Gibbs would have never let him leave the hospital without telling her, so it should have been McGee, who else. Once she felt better, she thank the nurses for their help and she went to the only place where she knew was going to get the answer she so desperately needed.

* * *

At the NCIS headquarters, Gibbs and McGee were working at their desks when Ziva got into the office.

"McGee, did you bring Tony his clothes to the hospital early this morning?"

"Aurm… uh …Ah…, Good morning to you too Ziva"

"McGee!!", Ziva and Gibbs said at the same time

"Yes, why?, Tony said that you were not going to pick him up"

"And where is he now?"

"I do not know"

"Yes you do and you are going to tell me unless you want me to…"

"No, I do not want that…"

"But I haven't even tell you what am I going to do"

"Whatever it is I don't want it, but I really don't know where is him, he did not tell me where he was going"

"Find him McGee", Gibbs said looking at his computer screen, and do it now.

"On it boss"

"McGee typed something on his keyboard and after a couple of seconds, thanks to the GPS on Tony's rental, he found him, he was in the woods.

"Maybe he went to his family cottage", Gibbs said

"But, nobody has been there for years, he said it was in ruins", Ziva said

"You are wrong my dear" came a voice from the elevator

"Why do you say that Ducky'"

"Because Anthony has been to his cottage almost every single time you two had a fight, for the last couple of years"

"Have you get the address McGee, I cannot remember how to get there"

"Uh, yes", and he gave her a piece of paper with the address written on it.

"What are you planning to do?, but before he could finish his question, Ziva had already left.

"She's going make things right with her husband McGee", said Gibbs.

"All I hope is that is not too late for those kids", answered Ducky.

* * *

When Ziva finally got to the cottage, she saw a dim light through the window. Before reaching the door, she though that the place was peaceful and beautiful. It was surrounded by trees and there was a small lake a few meters away, it was like a dream.

When she was about to knock on door, she listened to soft music coming from the inside, romantic maybe_, he must be drinking_, she thought, _that is going to make it even more difficult, cause most likely he is not going to listen to me, God, you did great David, _I'm proud of me_._

She took a deep breath and entered into the cottage. It was warm and cozy thanks to the fireplace, but Tony was no where to be seen, she thought that maybe he was upstairs, in one of the rooms, when she was about to go she heard a voice coming from behind

"What are you doing here ?" said Tony, a glass of Scotch in his right hand.

"You left the hospital and did not even call me, I was worried"

"And you came here, just because you were worried?, Come on Ziva, give me a break, you are not that kind of woman, besides, it is not supposed that you lost your memory, how did you remember this place?"

"First, maybe I WAS not that kind of woman, but I do want to be, at least for you; and second I did loose it, Ducky was the one who told me about this place, after I asked McGee to give me your location using your rental's GPS."

"So, you took all that trouble just to find me?, I thought you were mad at me, that you got your memory back and that you were going to be the same…"

She did not let him finish his sentence, she put her finger over his lips and then placed a gentle kiss.

"No, I did not get my memory back, not yet, I only remembered about our baby, that was it, about the day she died, Gibbs help me out to put together the rest of the story, it is still not clear, but at least things are making sense now. I know it was not your fault, I do not know why did I blame you, maybe because I have no one else to blame, or maybe because I did not want to accept that it was my fault as well"

"Do not say that, you did nothing"

"Neither did you, it was an accident, the problem was that I did not accept it that way, I did not share my feelings with you, I forgot that you were suffering as much as I was. Selfish, I was selfish for not letting you in, for pushing you away, and that was not fair. We are married Tony, we were together before Eitana was born and her memory has to keep us together, not tore us apart. I love you Tony, I always have and I always will, of that I'm sure, I want to get our lives back, our marriage, our happiness. I do not want to be the same woman, I want to be able to remember our baby together, I do not want us to blame each other for something that…I don't know, maybe it was something that was meant to be, like a test, and if we do not do something now, I'm sure that we are going to end up failing it"

"I do not want that either Ziva, I love you too"

"Tony left his glass over the table and kissed Ziva passionately, then both of them hugged each other tight, as if they did not ever want to let the other go.

After a couple of minutes, they made their way to the bedroom.

"We have two weeks off, did you know that" Ziva said, while Tony planted small kisses all over her face and neck

"Who says?"

"Mmm, Gibbs did"

"It means that we have two weeks just for ourselves?, I think that is not enough, not even a lifetime will ever be enough to spend it with you"

The next two weeks were magical, everything was perfect between them. Thanks to the clothes and groceries that Ziva brought in, they did not have to leave the cottage, except for their long evening walks along the woods, their swimming time in the small lake, they even set a camp fire, this time not to discuss any case, but to spend it talking about their marriage, their life together, their future while they're eating marshmallows.

The day before they came back, Tony was outside talking a bath in the lake while Ziva was making breakfast. She was so happy, her memory was not completely back, but right now she did not care anymore, she remember what was important, and that was all that matter. All of a sudden she heard a noise, she had been in the woods long enough to know, that particular noise did not belong there. Hurriedly, she took Tony's weapon and rushed outside. Something told her that Tony was in danger.

She saw Tony, he was about to came out from the lake when she noticed a glittering coming from behind some the trees. At that moment everything started coming back to her mind, she remembered everything, the good memories, the bad ones and she immediately knew what was about to happen, she had to move quickly. She ran as fast as she could, taking care of not making any noise.

Tony was coming out from the lake when…

"Tony, get down", Ziva's desperate voice came from behind him

He did as she said and then he heard a gunshot, then everything was silent, again.

Tony put his pants and ran fast where Ziva's voice came from. And there she was, standing near the body of a dead man.

"God Zee, are you ok?" He wrapped his arms around her, and she laid her head on his chest

"Yes Tony, I'm fine, are you ok"?

"Do not be worried about me sweet cheeks. What the hell happened here, who was this guy, and what was he doing here"?

"His name is Amin, and he came to kill you"

"What?". Tony was confused. "What are you talking about. Wait a second, do you know this guy?"

"Yes I do…I did"

"How do you know that he came here to kill me, who wanted me dead"? Tony asked, confusion and rage were overtaking him. "Who Ziva??", he said grasping her arm tightly.

She was trembling, her eyes full of tears.

"Why do you refuse to make eye contact Ziva, look at me and answer my question"

"I DID"

* * *

_Thanks for reading. Have a nice weekend._


	6. That is what you are

_Disclaimer: Nothing h__as changed; I still own nothing, except for the mistakes._

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**That is what you are**

It had been three weeks since Ziva killed Amin to save Tony's life, but he was still mad and confused. Even Ziva was confused, she knew Amin wanted to kill Tony for something that she said one of the nights that she spent with him at the bar, but she never thought that he was going to do it, she was drunk, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not remember having ask him to kill her husband, definitely, the word "kill" never came up, but again, she had only recovered her memory a couple of weeks ago, so, she could not trust her memories, not yet.

At NCIS everyone was angry at Ziva, especially Abby, she could not believe that her friend and partner ask a terrorist to kill her own husband.

When Ziva tried to talk to Ducky, the man who was always there for her, she immediately read the dissapointment in his eyes, Ziva decided against and left.

Tony did not talk to her, at all. And she missed him already, she needed him to tell her something, anything; but he did not even wanted to look at her. After all, everything was said between the two of them the very same night of the incident, whilst Gibbs and McGee were processing the scene.

_Three weeks earlier_

"_How could you do that Ziva, I knew you were angry, but asking a stranger, a terrorist to get rid of me…." Tony was raising his voice. Anger was overtaking him._

"_It is not what you think Tony, I did not ASK him to kill you, I just…I don't know"_

"_What do you mean by 'you don't know'? Come on Ziva of course you do, it is just that may be you don't know how to explain"_

"_Tony I love you, I would have never wanted anything bad happen to you"_

"_You love me? then why is that man's dead body a few meters away from my cottage, with a sniper rifle? Oh yes I know! he came here to hunt some bears, right?, except that there are no any bears here Ziva, just the two of us and he was not aiming at you"_

"_Tony please…I swear, I...I love you, this was a mistake, Tony please, trust me"_

"_I love you too Ziva, at least I used to love the old Ziva, the one who was my partner, my friend, but now, I cannot trust you, not any more. Years ago you changed, now you've become a stranger and truth be told, I do not know if I love you anymore, I do not even know if I feel something right now Ziva, except for anger and disappointment. I don't know if I'm going to forgive you, but I know for sure that I'm never going to trust you anymore. It is much better if we leave things the way they are right now. Maybe we were never meant to be together. Sometimes love is not enough and you were right when you said that what happened to our little girl was a test, it was indeed, but we failed it Ziva, we did long time ago, but we did not want to accept it; or I should say, I was the one who did not accept it. I was the one who wanted to be with you, no matter what. I was wrong wasn't it. God...You haven't even told me where did you met this guy?"_

"_Tony, things are not the way it seems, I was working undercover, Amin was my contact, I was trying to infiltrate into a local terrorist cell that have been trying to sell some weapons to Hamas in order to become part of them, and I swear, I did not ask him to kill you, I just.."_

"_You just what?"_

"_I just said that sometimes I wish you were dead, instead of my little girl"._

"_You know what Ziva, I don't know why I am surprised, you killed your brother, your flesh and blood, what was I expecting?_

"_How dare you?, you know why I had to do it. I still feel bad for what I did, but he was going to kill Gibbs…"_

"_I know that Ziva, and I understand, but that is who you are, what I am saying is that you are an assassin you were trained to kill and if you were capable of murdering a man that you loved, a man that belong to your family…well I guess you can kill anyone, can't you?, an assassin after all._

_And then Tony left, and she stayed behind, crying and feeling lost like a little girl as she slid her body down the trunk and sat on the grass, for a moment everything disappeared, the police, Gibbs, McGee, everything was silent, the only sounds that could be heard were her sobs._

* * *

Gibbs and Jen were talking about the case at NCIS headquarters.

"I cannot believe it Jethro, three weeks and those men are still free. Amin was not working alone, he was only the contact, we need to catch them before they sell those weapons and they convince Hamas that they are good assets, we cannot let that happen".

"What do you want to do director, the only thing you can do is sending Ziva again, but it's too risky, how is she going to explain Amin's dead, or that she did not make contact for about six weeks…I.."

"Do not worry about me Gibbs, I will find a way to convince them that everything is fine and that I want to cooperate with them by betraying my agency"

"Ziva, listen to me, I know that the situation is not easy, but you do not have to do it", Gibbs told her. "We are going to find them".

"Yes I do, that is my job and the reason why I came here in the first place. I started this and I am going to finish it. I'm going back to the bar tonight and I won't leave until I get something. Do not be worried about me. I know what I'm doing". She said that without making eye contact and she left.

"I don't know Jethro, I'm worried that she's going to be reckless and deliberately put herself in danger"

"Why do you say that, she's a very good agent and…"

"Tony filed for the divorce, the papers were delivered yesterday"

"Oh!, what did she say?, have she sing them yet?"

"Nothing, she just look at them and said that she'll sign them later. But there is something wrong, I mean, she does not sleep, she barely eats. Not to mention the rings under her eyes, she's tired all the time".

"Then don't send her, tell her that she's suspended, I don't know, anything"

"She's not going to listen to me, she never listen to anyone, she's so stubborn…"

"The I guess somebody needs to talk to DiNozzo before it is too late. Don't worry Jen, I'll send McGee to look after her tonight, everything is going to be ok, I won't lose another child."

* * *

At the bullpen, Ziva grabbed her gear and headed to the elevator without lsaying a word, Tony was looking at her, but this time she did not notice his glance. She was exhausted indeed and worried about her encounter with Amin's associates later that night. Gibbs was right, what was she going to tell them, she did not even knew anyone, Amin was her contact and now he was dead, she needed to came up with a plan and finish the job, even if that meant losing her life in the line of duty.

A few minutes after she left.

"Ehm…Tony, can I ask you something"

"What?" Tony answered, raising his voice.

"I do not know Tony, but I don't think Ziva is doing ok, she looks like"

"Like what McMeddler?"

"Like if she was sick Tony", I'm kind of worried about her.

"Don't be, maybe the remorse is killing her. I don't know and I cannot care less, so stop asking stupid questions and get back to your business"

"You really don't care DiNozzo?", Gibbs' voice came from behind. "To my office, now!"

Tony stood up and jumped into the elevator

"What the hell is going on with you DiNozzo, you said you loved that woman, I remember when she first came in, you were nervous all the time, always bothering her, always trying to be near; even when you were working undercover with The Frog's daughter…and now, after all you two have been through"

"She wanted me dead boss"

"She was drunk DiNozzo, she was talking to the wrong man and said something she should have never said, that does not mean that she was being serious"

"But…"

"No buts, we've been through this conversation before. Do you still love her?"

"I do not know boss, I thought I did but now…"

"What changed?"

"God.." Tony said rubbing his hands over his face. "What if she was cheating me with Amin"

Gibbs head slapped him really hard. "You do not believe that DiNozzo, do you?"

"No, it's just that... I still cannot believe what she did"

"You still have not answer my question"

"Which one, if I still love her or what changed?"

"I know the answer to the first one and you should too"

"She's a different woman boss, when she lost her memory, my old Ziva came back, but then, she disappeared again"

"Everybody changes DiNozzo, you have changed too. The question is, did you marry her only for the good times?, if you did, then you're wrong. But I know you did not, because of everything you two have been through, so?"

"The problem lies in the fact that I don't trust her anymore boss, and that does not have anything to do with love or forgiveness"

"She's not ok DiNozzo, you can see that. The director and I are worried about her"

"I know boss, and I'm worried too, but there's nothing I can do. I'm sorry boss"

With that Tony left the elevator.

"I hope that by the time you realise that you're making a mistake it is not too late, DiNozzo"

Tony sighed and made his way back to his desk.

* * *

That night at the bar, Ziva was drinking mineral water, she did not want to get drunk and screw things up. She had been patiently waiting for the last four hours. She was determined to not leave the bar until she got something. Suddenly, a tall blonde man sit by her side.

"Good evening officer David"

"Do I know you?"

"No, you don't, but we know you"

"Yes?, is that good or bad"

"It all depends, it is good for us but very bad for you"

"Why so?"

"Because we know you killed Amin"

"He was a taridor", Ziva answered quickly, looking into the blond man's eyes with no hesitation.

"I do not think so, but I do not care either. The thing is that we know that you are never going to betray NCIS as you made us think before, that was why we decided to kill your husband, but then, we found out that you kill one of Hamas' most important officers and this wonderful idea came into our minds, why are we worried about trying to become part of Hamas by selling them weapons that might not be appealing to them when we can earn their trust by turning them in nothing more and nothing less than Ziva David, ex Mossad office, former NCIS agent and Ariel Haswari's murderer". The blond man said, drawing his gun and aiming at Ziva.

* * *

_Thanks for reading it. Have a nice week._


	7. I'm still the best

_

* * *

_

Disclaimer: I own nothing of NCIS or its characters, obviously. The mistakes are a different story.

_A/N: Last chapter I forgot to thank all the people who read this story. This__ was meant to be the last chapter; but it turned out to be longer than I expected, so I'm going to make two out of it. _

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed it. That meant a lot._

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**I'm still the best**

A lot of things crossed Ziva's mind. At one point in her life she was Mossad and being aimed with a gun in a crowded place did not use to terrify her, but now, she belonged to NCIS and the idea of fighting back the guy inside the bar risking everybody inside was not her best option. But as long as she stayed inside the bar, she was going to be safe. Surely the terrorist did not want to get anybodies attention, or he would have already shot her or at least show his gun a bit more. So she chose to talk instead and buy herself some time.

"Why are you so sure that I kill Ari? I had no reason to do such a thing like that"

"You had more reasons than you think. You're Mossad; he was Hamas, which is the most important reason. He was Hamas' mole and you found out, when he was caught and refused to talk, you decided to kill him"

At that point Ziva realized that the blond man had not the slightest idea on how did Ari die.

"Ari was never tortured, he was shot, and you're right I did it, but not because I found out that he was a mole but because I was trying to earn somebody's trust".

Ziva was now smiling internally and was confident that things were going to turn out the way she needed them. At the end of the day all men are the same, so maybe if she convinced him that she killed Ari because she had to in order to get something and not because it was her duty, then he was going to believe her when she told him that she was willing to become part of their cell, and betraying NCIS was not going to be a problem at all.

"And just for the record, Ari was my brother, so there is no point on being threatening me with that gun, I'm not afraid. If you want to kill me, then go ahead and do it but, on the other hand, if you still think that I'm useful to your organization, then stop this silly game and lets get down to business".

"Why do you want to do that? I do not trust you". The blond man said.

"I do not trust you either, but we need each other if we want to pull through. You want to become a part of Hamas, and I want to get rid of my life. I do not want to work for NCIS anymore, thanks to your stupid friend I've lost my husband for good and I have nothing to loose, but, everything to win. So, tell me…"

"Armand"

"…Armand, what is your choice, do you need me or don't you?" Ziva said, one of her fingers playing with his arm.

"So thanks to Amin you lost your husband?" he said in a seductive voice that made Ziva feel sick to her stomach.

"No, thanks to him, I'm free now to do whatever I want, which is different".

"So, then a good drink is in order, why don't we celebrate and then we go to talk to the other members, I'm sure they would like to meet you, and maybe, just maybe, you will convince them that killing you is not a good idea after all".

"Ok, I like the last part, but the first one, I do not like it very much. NCIS thinks that that I'm devastated because of my marital situation, and if I disappear just like that, they're going to try to find me. My husband is not going to stop until I signed the damn divorce papers and those are obstacles.

I have a better idea, you're going to let me get back home, I'll sign the papers, leave a note and then I'll be free to join your organization. And, if I ever need to get back to NCIS in order to fulfill our purposes, then I'll be free to become your mole without any suspicion, what do you say?"

"I do not like your idea; you can be playing me in order to buy some time. I'll say it again; I do not trust you David"

"Then we'll do things your way, but if NCIS finds us, it is going to be your fault, and kiss Hamas goodbye, because once you, me and the rest of the organization will be locked down in a federal prison, that will be the end of your dreams of becoming one of Hamas cell operating in America, your choice…Armand"

"You have one hour David, and we'll meet here. If you do not come you future ex husband is going pay for your betrayal"

"Fair enough" With this Ziva stood up and left the bar.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Ziva got into Jenny's house, even when she tried not to make noise, a voice from behind told her she failed her task.

"What is going on Ziva?"

"Oh!, I would have expected Jenny's voice considering this is her house, but this is a surprise, what are you doing here Gibbs?"

"I sent McGee to the bar to keep an eye on you, he told me that he saw you enter into the bar, but he never saw you leave, what happened?"

"I do not have much time, I have to get back to the bar, all I can say is that we are close Gibbs, a man found me at the bar, his name is Armand, or so he said, he belongs to the organization, he knows everything about me, he went to the bar to took me hostage"

"What a hell…"

"They do not want to sell weapons anymore Gibbs, what they want is turn me in to Hamas, and tell them that I am Ari's killer, so they earn Hamas trust"

"Did you…?"

"No", she said shaking her head, "I did not tell him, nor Amin, I do not know how did they find out, but they did. Listen to me; I made him think that I'm willing to betray NCIS in order to become part of their organization. I told him that Ari was my brother, that certainly shook him a little, he was not expecting that"

"Why did you do it?"

"My cover was blown; I had to think of something, which I did, I'm in the game now and more than ready to play it"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going undercover Gibbs, I have to meet Armand at the bar in less than 30 minutes, I will try to be in contact, but if you do not have news from me in a couple of days, do not worry, I'm going to need some time, to get to know how thy work, what do they want, the kind of surveillance… before I will be able to make contact"

"No, I won't let you"

"It is not your choice Gibbs, it is my mission, before my accident, you did not even know that I was working undercover. I started this, I ruined it and now I'm finishing it, whether you want it or not. It is a unique opportunity to bring down an arm dealer's organization, and maybe some Hamas cells, which is more than we can expect on a regular basis."

"What about you, DiNozzo, your lives?"

"What about it? There's nothing Gibbs, before Tony I was Mossad, an officer, an assassin, after Tony, I'm still the same person, maybe not as skillful as I used to be, but I'm the best for this job and you know it. Wish me luck, yes?"

"Ziva, you do not have to do this, we can…"

"No, there is no time Gibbs, if I do not do it, they are going to be after me, and all my loved ones, I do not want that. Please give Tony this", she said giving Gibbs an envelope. "I've already signed them. See you" She smiled lightly and gave him a quick hug, which he responded and then she left.

Gibbs stayed in the living room thinking, he knew this was not a good idea, but he could do nothing, she was determined and made up her mind long before she even talk to the guy at the bar.

* * *

The next day everybody were at NCIS, Tony started to wonder where was Ziva, it was 9 am and she was nowhere to be found, the director was already there, but, Ziva? He did not want to be worried, and he definitely was not going to ask Gibbs, his ego did not allow him to do that, not after their conversation the night before.

The day went by without complications, no new cases, just reports that needed to be done. By the end of the day, nobody had mentioned Ziva's name, and that was more than weird, because not even Gibbs asked anything about her. That was when Tony made up his mind and decided to ask about her.

He cleared his throat "Boss, do you know where is Ziva?", Tony asked, pretending that he did not care.

"Nop"

Tony and McGee looked at each other, confusion written across their faces

"But the day is over, I mean, almost over, and she did not show up for work, is she sick?"

"I really hope not DiNozzo, but you saw her yesterday, did she look fine to you?"

"I don't know"

"Then what happened to her?" McGee asked

"She went undercover agent McGee", Jenny's voice came from upstairs. "And we will not know something until she contact us"

"What?" Tony and McGee said at the same time. Jenny's words definitely took them off guard.

"But, but when someone is undercover, we usually keep in contact with", said McGee. Tony was too shocked to say anything.

"She did not give us time to do that McGee, by the time she made up her mind, she had only 30 minutes before her meeting.", said Gibbs standing up from his chair and walking toward Tony's desk. "She asked me to give you this", he said giving Tony the envelope.

"All we can do now is to make sure that she comes back to us in one piece"

"And how are we going to do that boss, we do not even know where is she" said McGee

"By looking into the information that we have about this organization and investigating everything we can about them, their connections, everything", said Jenny.

For a moment Tony disconnected himself from the conversation, he was staring at the envelope, afraid of what he might found inside. After a couple of minutes, he finally opened it. There were the divorce papers, signed and a note attached to them: _I'm sorry Tony; I never meant to hurt you. Love you, Ziva._

"She did it for you DiNozzo, for all of us, those men knew about Ari and they threatened her, if she did not join them, they were going to hunt her beloved ones down"

"But, how did they found out" Tony's word were almost a whisper, he was so worried and he knew that if he raise his voice, everyone would notice that he was about to cry.

"I do not know DiNozzo, I do not know"

Suddenly, Gibbs' words from last night came to Tony's mind…_I hope that by the time you realise that you're making a mistake it is not too late…_


	8. Tikva

Disclaimer: I own nothing from NCIS or its characters.

_A/N: This is the last chapter to this story. __I enjoyed writing it a lot. The whole story was maybe out of character and so no NCIS but somehow I thought that it fitted Tony and Ziva. I enjoyed writting it a lot._

_Once again, thanks to everyone who read it. Thanks for the reviews and for your support._

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Tikva**

It had been the longest weeks in the history of earth, or so thought Tony and the rest of the team, Ziva had not made contact yet, and everyone was worried about her; Tony was about to drive everyone crazy, he was freaked out, all he wanted was to see her again, to have the chance of wrapping her in his arms and never, ever let her go.

After a month of having been waiting for news, a familiar voice turned everyones attention at the bullpen. Ziva was finally back.

"Ziva!!" Tony's face lit up, for a second he thought that he was dreaming. She was there; his Ziva was there, a few meters away from him. He immediately stood up and ran towards her, and he made his wishes come true when he wrapped his arms around her, taking her off guard, and then gathered her up into his arms. "You're back, are you ok, why didn't you contact us, what's been going on?"

"Let me go Tony, please". Ziva was totally confused, during the last month she had thought nothing else but that Tony had forgot about her. She was not expecting this kind of reaction coming from him, and truth be told, she had no idea how her reaction should be.

"Sorry Zee, it is just that we've been so worried about you, that's all", Tony said, releasing her from his embrace and cupping her cheek with one hand.

"DiNozzo it is enough. Ziva, where have you been?"asked Gibbs.

Slowly she stepped back and walked away from Tony. She was very confused, but the reason why she was at NCIS was more important than her feelings at the moment.

"Tonight at 11:00 pm, there is going to be a meeting. I do not know who is going to be there on Hamas' behalf, but the men behind the entire organization here in America are going to be there, I will be there too"

"Why you did not make contact before?" asked Gibbs

"They were watching me all the time, the first days were a nightmare, I had to tell them everything about Ari and some Mossad operations, fortunately code names and everything related to my previous work do not longer exist, and I've been in America long enough, so they did not doubt my word. Then they let me go, but I was been followed and under surveillance 24/7; I did not want to risk the entire operation, so I chose to stay away until I could find a safe way to contact you."

"And it worked Gibbs, now they trust me enough to tell me about meetings, apparently Hamas is interested in me and we have a chance to bring them down"

Tony watched Ziva for the entire time she was talking to Gibbs, never loosing her from his sight. She was changed, he couldn't tell why, but she was not the same woman who left one night a month ago.

When he wrapped his arms around her, he could feel her tremble under his embrace, but she did not return it. The question was: Did she still love him? was she going to forgive him?, will she wanted him back in her life?, or now, after all that time, she realized that she wanted anything but having to do something with him?.

"I have to leave now, it is the way things had to be done Gibbs, I have to get back to them, otherwise they are going to suspect and..."

"It does not matter now Zee, they're having a meeting tonight, and it is not important wether you go back or not, besides, it is too dangerous", said Tony deply concerned.

Ziva looked directly into Tony's eyes before turning to face Gibbs

"Gibbs, if I do not get back, they are going to realize that there is something wrong and maybe they are going to cancel the meeting and all my work would've been futile. I spent one month inside, I did my job, earned they trust. I will not blow it. Gibbs, please…."

A dead silence took over the place. Everybody was looking at each other.

"Gibbs??"

"No, DiNozzo is right, you cannot go back. I know that you've worked really hard to accomplish this, but I do not want to risk you again. You've already put yourself in danger and I allowed it, we knew nothing from you for a whole month and now you're here, alive and you're not going back David."

"But..."

"She is…", a voice came from behind.

"What?" Gibbs, Tony and the rest of the team said at the same time.

"I said she's going back. Jenny said. Ziva is right. We've been working hard, if we let them go just like that, they are going to seek for revenge. It is Hamas we are talking about, not just a local cell."

"I know you Ziva, I trust you're going to do everything in your power to come back to us right?" Jenny said to Ziva

"Do not be worried, I will be back, promise. Then, I'll meet you there, yes"? She said addressing to the whole team.

McGee nodded; Tony was just staring at her.

"Ok Ziva, you heard the Director, we want you back with us, understood"? Gibbs said looking at Jenny intently.

Ziva nodded and left, without even looking at Tony, who did not take his eyes from her since the minute she entered the bullpen 'til the minute she left.

"Why did you do it Jen"? Gibbs said, turning to face Jen

"Because she was going to do it anyway, but if she's confident that we are supporting her, then she's going to be more careful. I'm not happy with the idea, but she's going to be ok. We all know her".

* * *

That night they were waiting outside the warehouse, ready to act as soon as they receive Ziva's signal.

After half an hour the signal came and they knew that there was only one chance to make things right.

"Tony, back. McGee, with me", GIbbs said

Once they entered to the warehouse they realized that there were only 5 men and they were speaking English, it was obvious that it was not their first language though; Ziva was standing by Armand's side.

Tony was trying to find a position, but he tripped and made a slight noise when his gun fell into the floor. Unfortunately, everyone heard it and all of a sudden every single gun in that warehouse was out and ready to shoot to the intruder. Gibbs and McGee were too far away to help Tony, the only person who could do something at that point was Ziva, but not without blowing her cover and putting her life in grave danger as well. They might have been five, but they were very well armed and she was in the middle of them.

Ziva had to move fast if she really wanted to save Tony's life, so very discreetly and fast, she took out of one of her knives that she was concealing in her belt an threw it to the man who was standing across from her, creating confusion along the way, then she kicked Armand on the face, that gave Gibbs, McGee and Tony enough time to get to her and make the arrest.

Armand hurt her a bit, nothing to be concerned but once the men were taken into custody, Ziva disappeared, by the time everything was settled and Tony was looking for her, he realized that she was nowhere to be found.

At NCIS Gibbs learned, after having interrogated all the men, that two of them belonged to Hamas, but they were not willing to cooperate. The other three were the only ones left from Armand's organization, once he turned up against his boss and killed him along with the ones who were loyal to him.

Tony was behind the glass listening to Armand's interrogation, when he was joined by Jennifer.

"So, what really happened"?, asked Gibbs

"I've already told you agent Gibbs, the woman betrayed us, and she made us think that she was loyal to us".

"Did she know you were planning to kill your boss"?

"No, she did not. I was not sure about her yet, so I did it on my own, this afternoon, when she came back, they were already dead, but she did not seem surprised, so I assumed that she was worth to be trust after all. But she was a traitor, I should have known from the beginning."

"What do you mean"?

"Yes, from the way she defended her ex, I should have realized that she was protecting him."

"But she asked you, or your friend Amin, to kill him".

"No, she never did. My boss was the one who wanted him dead. She was drunk when she said something like "_I wish he would be dead instead of her",_ or something like that, I do not even know who she was talking about. We thought that was a good opportunity to get rid of a fed, that was it. She never asked us for anything."

"You see Tony, she was coping with her grief, but as she told you, she never wanted to hurt you, she loves you." Jen said putting her hand on his shoulder.

"I know Jenny, and I'm sorry, you do not know how sorry I am. I really want her back, but I do not know if she is ever going to forgive me."

"I think that you already have your answer from the way she defended you at the warehouse."

"Do you know where she is?"

Jenny sighed, "yes I do, she's at the hospital. Armand did not hurt her, but she still wanted to make sure that everything was ok. Bethesda, she still there".

"Thanks," he kissed her cheek and left. Jenny was laughing to herself when Gibbs stepped in

"Why are you so happy?, we did not stop Hamas for good as you wanted."

"No, we did not. But we prevented them from coming to America and that was more than what we could have asked for. Tony listened the whole interview, he's now on his way to the hospital to talk with Ziva and maybe, just maybe, they are not going to make the same mistakes we did long time ago, and that Jethro is more than enough to be happy, don't you think?

* * *

At Bethesda, Tony went straight to the front desk

"Excuse me, Ziva David?"

"Are you a family member?"

"Yes, she's my wife."

"She said she's single", the nurse answered

"Well, she's not and I can prove it", he said smiling at the nurse.

"Ok then, she's in observation, first floor, room 179"

"Thanks" and he run to the elevators

Once he got to the door he was worried, he was not sure about what he was going to say, but he decided to enter without knocking.

There he found her, she was sleeping over her left side, he reached her and kissed the top of her head whilst stroking her hair. Just then, she opened her eyes.

"Hey, how are you feeling?, you left the scene without giving me the chance to thank you. Why did you disappear in such a hurry?"

"I'm fine Tony, thanks for asking". She said rubbing her eyes like a little girl, a bit confused. "Do not thank me; I'm glad that they did not hurt you. You had the situation under control, there was no point that I stayed. I called Jen and she said it was ok. Did she tell you that I was here?"

"Yes she did"

"Great!"

"Why did you come, trust me Armand need more medical attention than you do", Tony said trying to be funny

"Maybe you are right". She answered staring at the floor." He killed his boss and the rest of the organization; I do not know why he did it".

"But we do, he got greedy. And that is not the only thing that we know. I'm sorry Ziva, I know that you never wanted to hurt me, but I blinded by anger". He said, reaching for her hand and holding into his own

"It is ok Tony, everything was against me, you had no reason to believe me."

"Yes I had". He said, taking her hand and kissing it. "The words were coming from you and you were telling me the truth; that shoul have been more than enough".

Just when they were talking, a young nurse came into the room.

"Sorry miss David, here is the picture of your baby. I do not know what happened to the machine, but as the Dr. has already told you, everything is ok". She said, handing the picture to Ziva.

"Thanks!", Ziva said smiling at the nurse. Once the young woman left the room, Ziva's smile faded away and she turned her face to look at Tony, whose jaw was drop to the floor.

"What did the nurse had just said. Did she said the picture of your baby? Are you…?, Are we…?"

"Yes Tony, I'm pregnant." Ziva rolled her eyes

"And when were you planning to tell me?, or I should ask if you were planning on telling me at all?"

"Yes, of course I wanted to tell you, it is your right; but first I wanted to make sure that everything was ok before I did."

"Did you know it before you went undercover?"

"No I did not, I found out later. It was too late to get back."

"Why did you put your and our baby's life in danger?"

"Why?, because they were going to start firing their guns and because they were going to kill you and most likely, they were going to kill me too. I did what I had to do in order to protect you and my baby. That was itTony".

"A baby, can you believe that Zee, we're having a baby. God I have to call the team, they are going to be so happy for us. We have to buy a crib and to paint the room, and toys and a swing and…"

"Tony, Tony wait. We are not married anymore, so stop making plans ok?"

"What? what are you talking about?"

"The truth Tony, we are divorced. There is not even a **we have**. It is a you have and an I have, but separately. I'm going to get a house for me and the baby. End of the story."

"But Ziva, we cannot do that, not to the baby or to ourselves, we love each other and this baby deserves the best, and it means to have both its parents together."

"The thing is that we are not together Tony, not anymore. And I do not want you back just because I'm pregnant. A baby is a gift Tony, not a chain or an obligation that brings people together, even when they do not want to". Ziva said between sobs.

"What if I tell you that the fact that I want to be with you and to spend the rest of my life with you has nothing to do with your pregnancy, will you believe that?"

"You filed for the divorce", Ziva said .

"And it was a huge mistake, worse than having threaten your aunt Nettie". That comment made Ziva smile slightly.

"You're right I filed for the divorce, but when you left I understood that all I wanted was to be with you. I missed you more than anything; even before you left I wanted you back. When Gibbs gave me the divorce papers I teared them up. They do not exist anymore Zee."

"It means that…"

"That we're still married and that we have a beautiful house, I mean, I hope you like it. We can get a dog if you like. He said bending down and kissing her lips. Everything is going to be fine. I promise. We were together before this baby and we are going to be together always, even after it decides to leave us to make its own life."

* * *

Everything went exactly the way Tony promised. They got a dog, a Husky.

Six months later, their baby was born. Everybody was so happy for them. It was the most beautiful baby in the world, at least that was what they think. It had dark brown hair, olive skin and green eyes.

"How are you going to name her"? Jen asked stroking the babys little head.

Tony and Ziva smiled at each other, Tikva! They answered at the same time.

"Why do you choose such strange names"?, asked Abby.

"It is not strange Abby, it is Hebrew for hope. And it is exactly what this little baby means to us. Hope, in the future, in our lives, but most important, hope that everything is going to be ok between us, as long as we love each other and we trust and respect each other, everything is going to be fine.", Ziva explained and then kissed her baby daughter, before turning to kiss Tony as well.

The End

* * *

_A/N2: As far as I know, that is the meaning of Tikva_

_Thanks again and have a wonderful weekend._


End file.
